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Favorite Winter Steelhead Rig?

4K views 14 replies 13 participants last post by  Rippin lips 
#1 ·
Since I primarily fish the Sandy I like BIG gaudy bright flies for most conditions, maybe black or purple leeches in shallower water with the sun on but that water is COOOLD, need to really wake em' up.
Water too small for swinging I do a nymphing rig, usually a girdle bug or stone for a weight with an egg pattern.
I don't like using round split shot for weight anymore since I have had numerous fish take the $#@%$ split shot and subsequently get snagged in the flank by the fly, go figger.
It took me about 4 or 5 snagged Winter fish to figure out what the problem was, water going right to left I nailed em' in the left flank. Water left to right, right flank. And that was with at least 20" between the flies. Anybody else ever have this happen???
 
#2 ·
A-leeches in black or black in clear water.K-12 kwikfish when it gets some color to it.Sorry guys,I don't have the talent or patience to fish winters with a fly when it gets cold and muddy.Cold and clear is another matter.
Mark and the dog.
 
#4 ·
Purist I am.I like to catch fish.PURE and simple :wink: .Hey I can hardly roll cast so when it gets tough I run a weight foward 50#tuf main and tie directly to the plug.But when it gets low again,I pitch A-leeches amongst other things.Some of which are flies,some are dick nites.Oops.There I go again telling the truth.Actually that is true.If I am on a batch of low water winters(cold water,less than 40 degrees)I run the standard black leech at em.if it dont work I tie on a #1 dick nite on a floating line and swing it thru the hole mending to slow the swing as much as possible.STH reel,7weight rod.No smelly jelly.Honest to god it works.Still more fun than fighting them on a baitcaster right?Whatever it takes...
Mark and the dog.
 
#12 ·
sounds like a split shot fly will be my newest addition to the fly collection!!!! :smile:

Giz...
 
#13 ·
I fish the OlyPen most of the time, so alot of heavy glacial rivers. But my go to fly, especially for the winter, is a big long pink bunny leech. Normally I tie it about 4" long with a trailer hook tied into tail (not dangling). Depending on stretch of water I fish, I either run it on a floating line and cast (you MUST get fly completely wet before you cast or it won't sink) or run it with a slow sinktip. Normally on a floating I'll get hit at tail out as the "leech" starts to move more and come back to surface.

But, depends on the river I'm fishing too. Most of my winterrun fishing is done near westside OP, so the worm is stacked in the box. But do have some marabou creations (pink/white, purple/pink, purple/black) that I have to toss as well as the standards spruced up a bit (green butt skunks with reflector ribbing for butt and more krystal flash for wing).
 
#14 ·
I tend to fish the Deschutes only, though sometimes the NF of the *** on the coast. On the Deschutes, mostly a Green Butt Skunk Sept and early Oct. and I primarily fish the canyon above Maupin. Then Black or Purple egg suckin' leaches or a Purple Peril....I don't switch around much, though I'm sure many flies would work just aswell. I'm big on just having the fly in the water, as long as its one of the four I've mentioned.
 
#15 ·
I had the chance to fish with Jim Teeny this fall, and the the most important thing I learned catching Steelhead this time of year is getting the fly...big or small infront of the fish. They tend not to move much when the water is 52 degrees or colder.

Jim gave me a 200 grain full sink Teeny Line, which got me down to the fish. I just roll cast the line straight ahead and mend. If you are hanging up on the rocks, strip line in slowly on the swing.

As for flies...I like big and bright for winter fish. I asked Jim what he thought...He opened his fly box up and all I saw was a multi-color assortment of Teeny Nymps & Teeny Leeches.

good luck...
 
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